It appears that for some, Bernie is not

[cali]

"Presidential" enough, and that is a significant reason not to support him. They are saying that they just can't imagine Bernie sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office.

I get what they're saying. He doesn't fit the stereotype. Hillary, despite being a woman fits it better. She has a certain commanding presence and dignity.

What constitutes someone being presidential is hard to define, but a lot of it is formed by what we're accustomed to, and expands over time.

[Kentonio]

1. We've had a few decades now of media trained politicians at the national level.

Taught how to dress, how to speak, how to gesture properly with their hands. Told what to say by polling consultants, told how to say it to draw the most positive reactions from the most affected demographics.

Now apparently someone not having that superficial polish is just 'not Presidential'. It's really sad that this nonsense has become more important to people than the actual policies and positions a politician holds.

[azmom]

3. Bernie's win will be revolutionary on

so many levels. I for one can't wait for change to occur. I'm ready for Bernie.

[fleur-de-lisa]

2. If that means that by telling the truth . . .

and working FOR the little guy, Bernie is not presidential enough, I have to agree.

And that makes me more committed than ever to stand with Sanders!

Fuck the status quo!

[Skwmom]

4. Clinton has dignity? Her comments on the killing of Gaddafi and wiping the server..

are presidential? She makes Trump look normal.

Bernie is the one who acts with integrity and dignity.

[KoKo]

6. ....!

[tk2kewl]

5. I have a hard time imagining him spending a lot of time behind a desk too

As president I hope he can still find time to get out





http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1024x768+0+0/resize/1200x900!/format/jpg/quality/85/

[pangaia]

12. Great photos !!

[tk2kewl]

13. easy to find with the googles...

a search for "bernie sanders marches" produced them...

funny thing is "hillary clinton marches" produced a bunch of similar pics with a particularly significant difference in my view:

Bernie is pictured marching side by side with people carrying signs for their particular cause.

Hillary is pictured marching while people are kept at safe distance holding signs with her name on them.

[Fawke Em]

17. This one is particularly harsh.

The press in a rope line in the front and some people held back away from her from behind.

[tk2kewl]

19. is she too important or too vulnerable?

[MADem]

28. Neither--the press were crowding her, asking questions, when she wanted to

march in the parade and shake hands with the people in the crowd.

The press didn't get what they wanted that day.

I would wager that if the press was crowding Bernie while he was trying to march with his little sign in the pics in this thread, his "peeps" -- if they were any good and doing their job -- would surround him too and prevent the press from interfering with what was his purpose at the demonstration.

If she wanted to give a press avail, that's what she would have done. She wanted to walk a parade route and grip and grin.

[99th_Monkey]

7. What looks "Presidential" is in the eye of the beholder. I don't agree at all that Bernie doesn't.

I can totally see him in the Oval Office. Is he "polished" in the usual sense? No, thankfully.

Does he have $400 haircuts? No thankfully.

Does he emanate a manufactured "image" designed to "look presidential". No.

Bernie is authentically Bernie, and he couldn't care less about this ^ crap; and I totally love
him for it and would be thrilled to have someone with those characteristics sitting in the WH.

[emulatorloo]

8. Just more dumb shit opinion presented as fact, easily ignorable and/or shot down.

[Sunlei]

9. Different personalities, I think they're both 'Presidential' enough.

Senator Sanders is more of a 'peoples President' and Mrs. Clinton is a much more commanding person.

Her 'presence' at the 11 hour interrogation gives a great recent look at what type of president she would be. She is ready to get to work.

[Fawke Em]

18. The problem is that I won't like the work she gets to.

I have no illusions that she'll actually fight for the middle class - she won't. It's not her "thing."

But I do feel like she'll have us in war every five minutes.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. It's horseshit.

It is people buying into superficial nonsense as political discourse. When our f*d media isn't portraying politics as a horse race, it is instead examining nose hairs. The last thing they want to discuss is the actual issues that candidates promote.

[hrmjustin]

11. I'm touched Cali.

I guess I hit a nerve.

[tk2kewl]

14. touched

[m-lekktor]

16. lol

[earthside]

15. It's illiberal and reactionary.

Democrats, liberals, progressives don't like these kinds of stereotype characterizations.

An African-American ... is that "presidential'?
A woman ... is that 'presidential'?
A person of Jewish heritage ... is that 'presidential'?

Too rumpled a dresser to be president?
A laugh too cackling to be president?
Too old to be president?

When I hear someone talk about what it means to be 'presidential' my first thought is that this is Repuglican code for -- conservative; differential to existing power structure; prudent; well bred; conceited; supercilious.

[hootinholler]

21. Your words

But I agree you are touched.

[sadoldgirl]

20. Oh shucks, I thought that FDR was a president!

I also thought that T. Roosevelt (the teddy bear) was
a president!

Obviously I did not learn the PC kind of history.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Abe Lincoln wasn't "presidential" in the eyes of many when he was president.

Even members of his cabinet thought he looked like a bumpkin and said so.

[ejbr]

23. Dick Cheney

is more "presidential"; would they vote for him over Bernie? If not, they are hypocrites; if so, they're crazy

[MADem]

29. No he isn't. Dick Cheney is an ignorant brute, who flunked out of Yale--his moron boss managed

to finish the course there. He shot his pal in the face, and the pal ended up apologizing.

He was never "presidential."

That's just a poor example.

[ejbr]

30. You are talking about his actions

not how he ACTS. Cheney doesn't scream, he is articulate, he dresses the part of a president. If you don't think that many Americans would consider him to be "presidential" in appearance and composure, then you are deluded. And given that the argument against Bernie is not his ideas, but how he looks and acts that are not "presidential", then I think we should stick to that premise and not focus on things that are not always included within the term "presidential" such as the things you note.

[MADem]

31. He is not at all articulate!! He's the clod who chortled with his

boss about how Adam Clymer is a "major league asshole!"

That's articulate to YOU? Your standards are very low if that's the case.

He's the jerk who eats off his WIFE'S PLATE at high profile public meals.

He's the guy who wears pants that are WAY too tight for his business.



And he's a war criminal--he started wars and profited, grossly, off them with his cough blind cough investments.

And he SHOT a guy....in the FACE!!!!

Are those the actions of a "Presidential" character?

You have a curious definition of the term.

I don't consider a bully boy extension of George W. Bush "Presidential," but that's me.


I think it's astoundingly churlish and rude of you to call me "deluded" when it is I who am in possession of the salient facts on this matter. There's nothing "presidential" about that assclown, unless you're a member of CPAC.

[ejbr]

33. Ok,

I never stated that Cheney's actions are presidential. He never stuttered or yelled when I heard him speak; his hair was always kempt. His voice was not abrasive. THESE are the only criteria I am using to determine if someone is presidential as I am assuming others are using for Bernie. Stop putting "words" in my mouth about whether Cheneys' abuses qualify as being presidential. Or are you truly dense?

[MADem]

36. He routinely swore; that's not Presidential. And he didn't have much hair, he kept it short, so

"kempt" hair doesn't really mean much. And he snarled--his voice was OFTEN abrasive.

You have a VERY LOW BAR for "presidential" behavior and appearance, if Cheney makes your cut.

I spent many days in close proximity to him when he was SECDEF. Not only was he "not presidential," his wife was even worse.

I'm not putting any words in your mouth--you're the one repeatedly insisting that Dick Fucking Cheney is "presidential." I'm telling you he isn't and giving you concrete examples to prove my assertion.

And for my trouble, now you're calling me "dense?"

Do you realize how offensive and objectionable you are coming across? I'm not calling you "dense" or other insults because I disagree with your assessment--you might want to try civility for a change and see if it works for you.

smh.

[ejbr]

38. I apologize for the name-calling

You are correct, that should not have been typed. However, my only point is that during the debates and his speeches, I don't think the average person would know he was as you say, and we now know. I am trying to understand what about Bernie is not presidential since we know nothing of any foul attributes as you described.

[MADem]

39. Perhaps you'd do better to just ask people to list what qualities about Senator Sanders

they believe are not presidential, if that's what you want to know, rather than comparing him with Dick Cheney, one of the biggest jerks to occupy the national stage in a half century, easily.

[ejbr]

40. Well, we can agree on that! n/t

[restorefreedom]

41. in that first photo he looks pretty relaxed

considering what he is looking at

just sayin

[MADem]

44. Indeed--he is an ignorant brute, watching that destruction with his feet on the furniture.

He's the opposite of "presidential."

[restorefreedom]

45. opposite of human, too

i won't even say animal because most the animals i have ever known were quite nice.

demonic..,yeah, that works for me....

[LWolf]

24. The difference between

a figurehead and a public servant.

Political theater for the masses or someone working for the masses.

[Katashi_itto]

25. I always thought it was pretty presidential in the way she dodged sniper fire.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

26. Does one have to have a $600 haircut to be president?

Bernie is presidential enough but he isn't bought

[NorthCarolina]

27. Did someone claim Bernie was "not presidential"?

I guess I must have missed a super enlightening post.

[Avalux]

32. I wonder if people said the same thing about FDR back then?

You know, he was wheelchair bound and of ill health, cantankerous, and didn't much care about appearing 'presidential'. Wouldn't it have been a shame if appearing presidential was the deciding factor?

[John Poet]

34. This country was willing enough to allow SHRUB to usurp the White House

for eight years (I still won't say he won either election),
bouncing from one verbal flub to another
while moving from one disaster to the next...


After that, what the hell is the meaning of this 'presidential' thing
that people are supposed to want?


I think Bernie is EXTREMELY presidential.
I want a FIGHTER for ME in that office!

[Skwmom]

35. Dignity? Really? Dignity....

There must be a new definition for dignity that I missed.

[anigbrowl]

37. Once more, Straw Man has been defeated and America is safe for another day

Bonus marks for originality though.

[restorefreedom]

42. everyone said president romney is perfectly coiffed for the position

er, oooops

never mind...

[Motown_Johnny]

43. Ahhh... The anonymous "They" used as a foil.

Where have we seen that before?